Examining Racial Disparities in U.S. Incarceration and Capital Punishment

Zoe Williams1, Nathan Alexander, PhD2, 3


1 Department of Political Science, College of Arts and Sciences
2 Department of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education
3 Program in Applied Data Science and Analytics, The Graduate School

Abstract

We investigate racial disparities in U.S. incarceration rates and capital punishment to highlight systemic inequities within the criminal justice system. Our hypotheses align with research literature and historical data, indicating that Black Americans are incarcerated at disproportionately higher rates than other groups; we take a particular focus on southern states. We also examine racial bias in the administration of the death penalty, specifically analyzing data on Black defendants. By utilizing multiple sources of state-level data, we aim to uncover how race influences patterns of incarceration and sentencing, emphasizing the need for reforms to address persistent inequities and promote fairness in the justice system.

Overview

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Literature Review

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Research Questions

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Methodology

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Data

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Analytic framework

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Findings

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Discussion

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Conclusion

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Acknowledgements

These are the acknowledgements. This work was supporting by funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (Grant 2023-21062).

References

Alexander, Michelle. 2021. “The New Jim Crow.” In Power and Inequality, 300–304. Routledge.